Supergirl 403: Man Of Steel

Supergirl episode 403, titled 'Man of Steel', aired earlier this week and was a very interesting episode for this show. I am going to very intrigued to gather up all the reviews of this episode to see where consensus falls.

First off, this is an episode completely dedicated to the villain. It shows us how Benjamin Lockwood, upstanding and open-minded family man was radicalized into becoming Agent Liberty. Our main characters are present but often as ancillaries to their scenes, more as a way to showcase how they impacted Lockwood's descent. Now some might call this a sympathetic look at the villain. But for me it was more of an opening for a redemption arc. This isn't me forgiving Liberty or understanding him. He is the villain in this piece right now, burning down factories and killing innocents. And the show certainly had a pretty clear message on toxic masculinity. He isn't sympathetic. He isn't misunderstood. He is a person twisted into something horrible by fear, hatem and circumstance. He is evil.

But already in two episodes we see how one of this season's themes is Kara as an inspiration of hope, a beacon of truth. We hear Alex say Supergirl can change people's minds. There is no doubt in my mind that the season finale is going to be Supergirl changing Agent Liberty's mind, or maybe his followers' minds. For us to believe that Kara can break through, we need to understand his roots.

As daring as this villain's episode was, it was just as impressive regarding the internal continuity of the show. Lockwood's story starts with a reference to Supergirl's 'Hope' speech from season one's finale and meanders through the big events of the first three seasons. From Alex's long hair and claiming to be an FBI agent to shots of Cat Grant to seeing James as acting CEO to wardrobe continuity, the Supergirl staff just nailed it. This show has a history that can be leaned on so why not do it. I was amazed.

The message of the episode is clear. But it is well-told and nuanced, not ham-fisted. I appreciated that.

On to the show.

We start in the present day in the immediate aftermath of the Graves' dispersal of Kryptonite in the atmosphere. The DEO's Kryptonite alarm shows how the whole world is effected. Succumbing to K-poisoning, Kara plummets from the sky. In that condition, the fall would be fatal.

The only person who can save her is J'onn, which pulls him away from the 'Earth First' rally before he can investigate Agent Liberty more.

He is able to save her over the Nevada desert, bringing her back into the DEO. There isn't much they can do but try to stabilize her, bathing her in yellow sun rays and putting on the anti-Kryptonite 

shield  that Winn converted to help Supergirl fight Metallo.

I love how the lead dispersal unit and the anti-Kryptonite shield are utilized. As I said, the show really leans into its history.

We then flash back to 2 years ago.

We meet the Lockwoods, Benjamin Lockwood (who will become Agent Liberty), his wife and son, and his father, an old school steel mill owner.

Two years ago, in the aftermath of myriad, the father Sam is watching a replay of Supergirl's Hope speech  from season one.

The father is clearly a bigot. He calls aliens 'roaches', the equivalent of whatever slur you want to insert here. It is offensive enough that Ben and his wife tell him that language like that isn't allowed in the house.

But Sam isn't done. The aliens are like roaches to him, infesting a place they don't belong. For example, a rival mill has opened nearby, this one using alien workers and Nth metal. The Nth metal has enhanced properties so more contracts are going to them. Sam's 'American steel' is outdated. The mill is doing statue commissions to make ends meet.

When Ben says that the father could update his factory (and maybe the father's old thoughts?), Sam says his educated son is being condescending. It is a decent side-swipe at the 'educated elite' argument often seen in politics these days.

But Ben is really an upstanding guy here. When the steel workers block a truck trying to leave from the alien metal mill, Ben tries to defuse the situation. In the confrontation, Ben is wounded by an alien protecting himself. It leads to a riot where the aliens are pummeled.

So, at least at first, Ben is an open-minded guy. Perhaps if his father took the advice to update the mill things would have stopped there.

With the riot full on, Supergirl and Alex arrive.

We truly are 2 years in the past. Alex has long hair. She says she is working for the DEO. Even though Ben was wounded by the alien, she seems to chastise the workers. She says Supergirl went easy on them. When Ben tries to tell her that they are good people who are afraid, she walks away.

Moreover, J'onn as Hank Henshaw talks to the father and says that the steel workers are completely at fault. This was an assault. Ben was injured in self-defense. It inflames Sam. After all, he now knows Supergirl is working with the government. A conspiracy theory starts to formulate. The government perhaps are silencing people who aren't toeing the line.

So Ben tries to stop the racist assault, is injured, branded a villain, and sees Supergirl fighting his friends who are just trying to survive. It is his first step down a dark path.

Later, Ben goes to LCorp and somehow gets face time with Lena. She has canceled a contract with his father's steel mill to get Nth metal steel instead. Again, she tells Ben that the factory should update. But new machines would cost millions the mill doesn't have. The march of progress has to move on.

Again, the workers are wrong for all they did. Ben actually tried to stop them.

The flashback shifts to 14 months earlier. We see that Ben is a history professor at National City University. He sees that his dry erase board is made with LCorp Nth metal steel and it spurs him further down the path. He talks about how progress ends up hurting whoever it leaves behind. He agrees that the Alien Amnesty act is progress (his old thinking) but that some Americans are worse off.

At home, the news talks of an investigation into Biomax  a call back to the second season. Meanwhile the father has had to close the steel mill because of the 'roaches' (this time said by Ben's son). Again, Ben is angry at the use of that message.

But things change. Queen Rhea appears on screen to discuss the Daxamite invasion. The family has to shelter in place. With supplies running out, they have to make a decision. The father says it is time for Ben to be a man and fight for what is theirs. When Ben's son says that Supergirl will come and save them, we see how far Ben has changed. He says that Supergirl is an alien and won't help humans.

With water low, they decide to make a run for it. Unfortunately before they leave, they see J'onn and a Daxamite fall into and ultimately destroy their home. Between fire and errant blasts, the family are lucky to escape alive. With the American flag on fire, it is clear the family has now lost everything.

Then 12 months earlier, we cut to CatCo to see the Cat speech where she announces working for the President. Ben arrives to talk to James hoping CatCo will write more stories about how the alien invasion is effecting the common family. Home insurance doesn't cover alien invasions. The Lockwood home is lost. James says that CatCo has done balanced reporting but it often is buried in the paper. What I like is that James does say that he thinks Lockwood makes good points. So maybe there was a third chance at changing Lockwood's descent?

But before the conversation can continue Lena calls James. Remember she is now running CatCo. Just like that Lockwood's conspiracy theories get ratcheted up. Lena gives business to aliens. Now Lena controls the media which reports about aliens. You can see how someone looking for something nefarious could reach a wrong conclusion.

Now cutting to six months ago, we see how Lockwood's history class has become a pulpit for his hate. He tries to talk about Nativism, a desire to keep a nation's culture strong, but it descends into xenophobia. It is completely awkward and cringe-worthy. And in a class filled with alien students (including one who could be from Starhaven), it comes off as appropriately terrible. They get up and leave.

Shortly thereafter, Lockwood is fired for his politicalization of his class. He counters that campus's should be safe spaces for free speech and the differing of opinions but it doesn't matter. He is fired. So nice for the writers to bring in campus protests and free speech into the mix.

Lockwood assumes it is the Star Haven-ish student and follows her to the alien bar where he confronts her, violently. Luckily Kara is there because it is Karaoke night. Getting between Ben and the student, she defuses the situation telling him to walk on. I love how he assumes she is human and tries to get to her that way. But she'll have no part of it. Lockwood storms off talking about Earth traitors.

In perhaps the deepest continuity cut, we see Kara decide here to sing Beastie Boys. In the famous  Karaoke  episode from last season, we see her do just that. Heck, the show runners put her in the same outfit here. Now that is leaning into history!

And I love Kara being an ally and protecting this girl. It is similar to Nia defending Brainy last episode.

Now 4 months ago, we see a much more disheveled Lockwood handing out pamphlets about the government conspiracy to use the FBI and Supergirl to round up political enemies. This isn't the polished professor. This looks like a zealot.

His attempt to spread his credo is interrupted by Alura fighting with Kara  to defeat the Kryptonian witches.  It is very Snyder-like with Lockwood running through the collapsing city like Bruce Wayne does in Metropolis at the beginning of Batman v Superman.

In the disaster, the father goes missing. Ben discovers him in the old steel mill, pinned by a fallen girder. Ben isn't strong enough (like an alien) to lift the wreckage. The dad knows he is dying. He wanted to die here, the place he considers his home. His last words are pleading with Ben to be the man he was raised to be. (Again, it is said like a bad thing, I suppose to hit the 'toxic masculinity' bit again.) Of course, this will be blamed on aliens even though the dad went there, it seems, with a death wish.

At the father's funeral, Ben gives a speech about never giving in to enemies. He won't let Lena set up a fund in his father's name. Aliens aren't people. They are the things which have systematically ruined his life.

Gone is the man who fought prejudice and had loftier ideals. Ben gets some of his father's old workers and goes and fire bombs the Nth metal factory. When the night manager comes out, they think they have accidentally injured a human.

But Lena's image inducer shorts revealing him to be the alien who accidentally injured Ben long ago. Ben snaps and beats the guy down with a pipe.

So who are the criminals here? It's the guys carrying molotovs and blowing up factories. Destruction of public property is against the law. Attacking people is against the law.

Suddenly, the guy who against hate speech and for equality has turned the corner. And you can see how if you look at all these events through a terrible lens, how this blaming aliens could be justified. But we also have seen opportunities for Lockwood to go down a different path.

At the very least, I was glad to see the writers showing how there were big alien threats which truly harmed this world.

And then we flash back to just two months ago, around the beginning of this season. The disheveled lunatic is gone. Instead we see a well dressed, well groomed, well spoken Lockwood on the city streets preaching his concerns about the government and aliens. He has become something of a charismatic leader now.

We even see how he can get followers. He runs into the dean who fired him. Her house was leveled by Reign. She is living in a college dorm. She apologizes to him for not understanding what he was going through.

He doesn't lash out at her like he did before. Instead he smiles and hands her a pamphlet, inviting her to his 'support group'.

Now that is creepy. We see how he has changed into this savior.

It isn't just talk. He gets picked up by Mercy who knows he has been hurting aliens over the last couple of months. She wants to work with him. She needs someone who is an orator to preach the word. She gives him the Agent Liberty suit and tells him about the Camp David attack.

I love this wrinkle. Mercy sought him out for his speaking skills, things we have seen here.

He heads to his father's old steel mill. Amidst those 'statue commissions' we heard about earlier, he finds a face he can wear, the bronze mask of Agent Liberty.

And that brings us up to date. Brilliant.

So how did this good man become bad? Or was he always bad?
I don't think he was. But fear and hate and blame can only twist you into something awful.

Back at the DEO it looks hopeless for Supergirl. She is too weak to be sent out of the atmosphere. If she stays in the atmosphere, she'll die.

Alex calls up Lena. Nearly breaking down, Alex thanks her for being there. And Lena says that people underestimate her but she cares. I am putting my nickel down. Lena knows Kara is Supergirl.

Somehow, Lena produces a micro-folded Iron Man suit which will produce a sterile internal environment while Supergirl is sealed inside. But why did Lena have this? And why with the S-shield? Was she preparing this all along?

Anyways, it will allow a faceless Supergirl to act next episode.

A villain origin episode showing the breakdown of a man by fear. Was it too sympathetic? Did it make him relatable? Did it show just how someone could get mired in conspiracy theories and go mad? At the very least, it is daring.

And, as I said at the beginning, it opens up the idea of Supergirl changing people in the finale, showing people the error in Lockwood's thinking.

So what did you think?

Posted in: Reviews